I realize the strategy is to laugh it off, but I do not see moderates, conservative Dems, and independents seeing this as anything but an out of touch president becoming more strange and out of touch by the minute.

His advisers, at best, seem to really be struggling, even with the old media printing whatever they ask.

Some are seeing it as an attack on happy hour and blatant nanny state silliness. I see it as a cutthroat offensive on capitalism...how dare private businesses try and spark sales during slow stretches of the day?

I hung up all my ties on my two "tie hangers" today, and discovered I guess I have 39. Of course, I have about ten I should just throw out or donate to Goodwill, as they are either stained, good for Toys R Us employment but nowhere else, or too skinny for today's fashion.

I have six Xmas ties, one Easter, one Halloween, and one St. Patty's Day. Take those out of the rotation, along with the 3-4 "too ugly/too strange," that leaves a rotation of about 25. Next time I grab one that is dirty, I'm just going to start a "giveaway" pile, and add to it on occasion.

Wow, in the words of Kramer on the Seinfeld Merv Griffin episode, I think we've hit rock bottom.

I gotta admit, I know what the thought process was, but if you're going to try that "steal and stop" play, it should be done with two outs, and with a weak hitter at the plate. The odds of that play working is not very high at the big league level...though it would go up if the runner going was a surprise.

Axford's streak has a lot of luck involved, as today shows, because his single allowed is a DP ball if it's a few feet toward Rickie. It doesn't take much to give up a single run, especially against a middle of the lineup like that.

Michael Fiers tossed six shutout innings and allowed just three hits.
Reliever Juan Perez, who earned the win, struck out three and walked two
in two innings. Amaury Rivas earned his first save with a scoreless
inning. Brooks Conrad had two of the Sounds' seven hits with a double
and a triple.--MLB.com

Those are probably the top four guys on the Sounds likely to come up, actually. Not to pat myself on the back (heh, that's all I do), but I've been predicting for a couple years now Rivas was likely to find success as a reliever. SP's who struggle at AAA and only have a couple plus pitches...that's just too easy.

With the plan in place, the state only need to cover about 40% of the cost and much of that can be done with user fees and revenue from additional gambling. Major league sports are what separates a major city from a city like Des Moines, which is a wonderful city, by the way. They add huge amounts to what a city is known for nationwide too...compare Salt Lake City to Boise, for example. Seattle and Portland to Albuquerque.

The Rambling wife called at 5:45 to say she was done with church, but was going to stay for the business meeting. It's over 1:20 later, and she still hasn't called. Either she has a boyfriend there, or someone is really wordy.

Tonight, I let the Rambling dog out when I got home. He raced down, and proceeded to tangle himself around the weed near the end of his chain. I went out and made a motion to circle around it, and after watching me for 15 seconds or so, turned and expertly walked around the weed, untangled himself, and raced up the stairs, looking very happy with himself.

I could not have been prouder if he had been produced from my own loin.

When you don't stand for anything, it's easy to get confused over pesky fiscal issues, especially ones like this, which can't be solved by the massive overspending that is a trademark of this administration.

I listened to some talk radio on the drive home this afternoon and thought of you, as suddenly, some fans have suddenly noticed the pitching is really struggling.

It didn't help that the host said, "They have the highest ERA in the NL. A few days ago, they were in the middle of the pack."

As you have pointed out, they have been in last since the first weekend.

Matt

It should also be noted that Axford and KRod have been as ineffective as anyone overall. And the SP's have been just as bad as the mostly no name bullpen.

And, irony of ironies, Parra has been mostly superb, as he has been for most of his career as a reliever, but casuals argue that point, because "I remember him getting hit hard."

That's nothing, I remember you're an idiot.

If healthy, the top four of the rotation should settle in and be fine. Even if Estrada or one of the Fiers/Peralta combo can come close to matching Chris' expected 4.40 ERA, I doubt they'll come close to his 180 expected frames, which will further strain the bullpen. Part of the problem in the relief corps is likely just general overuse, especially this early in the campaign.

Milwaukee optioned right-hander Mike McClendon to Triple-A Nashville and
on Sunday will transfer left-hander Chris Narveson to the 60-day
disabled list and purchase the contract of right-hander Vinnie Chulk
from Nashville--MLB.com

Chulk is a journeyman, but he's a fresh arm that can be abused if necessary. I forgot Narveson could be put on the 60 day, since he's out for the season.

As bad as Dillard has been versus LH hitters, it's difficult to imagine him ever being more than what he is, a long man who might be used in some higher leverage situations versus RH's...and he can be used frequently with little fear, due to his lack of ceiling.

Mike Fiers was scheduled to start tonight in Des Moines, but the game was canceled due to weather. Not only is he available, but he's just a short drive from St. Louis.

Other pitchers on the 40 are likely farther away, Scarpetta has not pitched yet, Rogers has only worked two innings, Stinson is in AA, Manzanillo is throwing hard and horribly in AA. Braddock may be placed on some sort of "non baseball related injury" list, as he is again seeking treatment for an undisclosed ailment of some kind, as that would open a 40 man spot for someone; Juan Perez, Vinnie Chulk, and Amaury Rivas have been the most effective in AAA,

Have to see what the outcome of the pitching staff is...I would have let Yo continue onward, as while he was far from himself, he also deserved a far better fate, as several ground balls just found a hole, that easily could have been outs.

As is, McClendon went as long as he could and then might be farmed out due to the fact he still has options, and someone on the 40 man, Fiers most likely, unless he just started, will be be brought up just for a healthy, available arm.

Let's be blunt, he's forgotten far more about defense than Obama will ever know. That's why he's rubber stamped all of W's policies, even though he said they were a disaster. Can't be bothered with that trivial stuff, he's got an election to win.

As much as I hate to bring common sense in, a $15T debt, if we were magically able to stop the runaway spending currently going on in DC, 10% interest is $1.5T a year. For the 150M folks currently working, that's $10K a year...just to keep the debt at a measly $15T...in addition to what you pay now.
If you seriously think you can raise that kind of money just by hitting folks who make over $250K per, of which there are very few, lots of luck.
The only answer is simple...cut spending, and do so yesterday. In four more years, I guarantee you it's $20-30T, and the low end is only if Obama is not reelected.

Interesting flip-flop, Yo starts tomorrow, Marco Saturday, and then Estrada's next start will be skipped, so he will not start again until Tuesday, 5/8...meaning the Crew will go with an extra man in the bullpen for about a week.

Someone should tell Bob Redford Chuck can say whatever meaningless drivel he feels like, because he's a figurehead with no real power at all that the old media insists on covering because they might do something embarrassing, like fall down, or cheat on his young pretty wife with some ugly, old broad.
Hypothetically, of course.

I'm trying to comprehend the stupidity of the Browns trading a 4th, 5th, and 7th round pick to the Vikings to move up one spot, when you fully realize there's no way MIN makes that trade if CLE is going to take their guy.

More on IL being broke.
That could easily be WI if not for a fiscally responsible governor, and two houses that send bills to him that, you know, do terrible things like eliminate deficits and balance budgets. Evil, pure evil.
It's especially bad for IL, as all five states that border them have lower taxes. The only people stupid enough to maintain an IL residence or business probably aren't making much money.

It must be hard living in a free country when your fantasies revolve around controlling other people’s behavior.
From the comments of this post. They just hate freedom, and that it gives people the right to, sigh, ignore those who despise capitalism.

Angels' OBPs: Morales .291, Aybar, .286, Pujols .282, Kendrick .282, Abreu .259, Wells .250. Again, those are OBPs, not BAs.--Rosenthal
Angels are off to a slow start, but likely due to small samples and that they've faced good pitching thus far. Those numbers are not likely to hold up over 40 games, never mind 162.

I love it, because they're signs of desperation. The average American is far more fiscally conservative than they were a few years ago. That's why no one is discussing that, but things like "women's issues" and "worker's rights."

That said, desperate people are the ones you must fear the most, because they have nothing to lose.

I personally hope both Hammonds and Skiles are signed to extensions. That said, it's a business, and results matter. Skiles took a team this year that lost Bogut and was undersized at nearly every position and kept them playing hard on defense all year. Hammonds lost Bogut and once again made a brilliant salary cap move, shuttling Bogut and Jackson for Udoh and Ellis.

What people overlook is, MIL needs to build with the draft and trades, as no one is going to come to MIL as a free agent, except complimentary types like Gooden. Because of that, their window to win is going to be shorter, 2-3 seasons at a time.

EDIT: If Herb does decide to start over, I'd let Jerry Sloan have full reign, be both the GM and coach, and/or personally handpick a coach/successor if he so chooses. The NBA is a league of pathetic desperation, it reminds me of the King of Queens where Carrie says, "We are long-term investors...we're looking at two, or maybe even three weeks."

I often chuckle at how they draft 20 year-olds, call them flops at 22, and watch as they become all-stars and sign a 5y/$45M deal at 25. The Bucks were a deep team, and had lots of solid role players, but they were one player away...give them Dwayne Wade or another top shooting guard/small forward, they are probably a #2/3 seed.

The problem is simple, and it comes directly from the top...they do whatever they can to sneak into the playoffs each season, instead of looking at the big picture. They could have easily dealt Ersan for draft picks/overpaid vets, but chose not to. That's not going to change as long as Herb owns the team, as GM's and coaches need security to think long-term.

The Rambling wife told me about this, and Facebook is very unhappy about this, as it hurts 4H and family farms around these parts. I would have no problem with doing something to prevent young kids from driving big tractors, but this seems, as government regs often do, to be shortsighted and having many, many unforeseen consequences.

I have a better idea, phase out the post office, and make certain it loses less money by eliminating pensions and raising the price of all postage. It's called user fees. If you don't want to pay, don't.

I'd plan on privatizing it and letting Fed Ex run it by 2020. The improvement would put the former entity to shame, and likely begin a phase of "What else can we move to the private sector?"

As Dennis Miller said, many folks are just hoping and praying for a Not Obama victory. Since campaign donations are limited to so much for the primary and so much for the general election. No matter who they gave to for the primary, they are giving to Romney now.

Occupy is just about dead, as none of those slackers can stay sober and/or stand out in the cold long enough to make a stand about anything other than free drugs. That said, it is funny that what little life is left is being ignored, despite arrests, littering, and the like, because common sense says this is a Dem based movement, and independents despise spoiled brats like this, and the more it is mentioned, the more indys will flock to Romney.

Jason writes to tell me that there's a message thread going over Ramirez's mental error, and many are ready to give up on him. He makes the apt comparison to the classic film Office Space, that Aramis typed up a TPS report incorrectly and should be severely disciplined.

As I pointed out, runners forget how many outs there are all the time, it happens every couple weeks or three during the season, one team or the other. Braun has done it, Weeks, and so on. Heck, on a related note, I thought the Brewers were up 4 last night going into the 9th, and was chuckling the TV guys were saying that was a save situation. I'm not sure how I thought 2+1=4, but I did. I even justified Axford coming in with a 4 run lead, thinking since the Crew had tomorrow off, John could not go more than 3 days in a row. Made perfect sense.

Given that little bit of info, it's amazing someone doesn't get confused every game, as I lost track just watching, and clicking on links of fiscal recklessness, of course.

Stopped at home to let the Rambling dog out, and by far the biggest story in the game is the fact Estrada is up in the bullpen. Roenicke said he was mulling the rotation, as Adam pointed out here, and has apparently decided to move Marco to the bullpen until he has to start, which if my math is correct, is Tuesday.

That would leave him available in relief Friday and Saturday, and maybe Sunday, depending on how he feels and prepares, I suppose.

When you believe in spending more and taking more money from those who earned it, it is inevitable, because raising taxes on the wealthy raises pennies compared to the runaway spending. The "Buffet Rule" would have raised enough cash to run the fed for half a day.

I never have, and I'm not sure if folks run out less or not. If they do though, I would guess it's two fold...better mileage and more gas stations. Despite five years of driving for work, I never was more than ten miles or so away from a fill up.

Granite bedrock beneath eastern Waupaca County is slowly adjusting to
a great weight being lifted off it when the last glacier melted more
than 10,000 years ago. As the granite stretches, rising only a few
millimeters a year, it can crack to relieve pressure.

The crack releases enough energy to create a seismic wave that rises to the surface--JS

Little known fact? The Ice Age was caused by the over reliance on fossil fuels.

With all the foolhardy racism claims, Romney needed to find a way to attack Obama without coming off as a bad guy. By saying he's a nice guy, and then saying his policies do not work, he brilliantly manages to skirt the line.

By far, the best couple weeks of his political career. Not sure if it's coincidence that it comes right after Santorum finally drops out, or if they had been saving the big guns for this moment.

Regardless, simply as close to perfection as you can get. Especially when you're as wooden as Mitt.

I don't think I've ever embedded a video on here before. That's because there's never been one that hit the nail on the head like this. Note the Ice Age/global warming/keep a straight face line, which I've pointed out many times. Share it with those who know the USA is the greatest economic machine in history because of capitalism, not because of overhanded regulation.

He has showed a terrific ability to counterpunch as the Obama operatives stumble and mock motherhood (they're just so much smarter than us hicks in flyover country). As Palin has said often, now is the time to fight like a girl. I doubt Romney has that in him, but that doesn't need his campaign won't.

The narrative isn't fitting the facts. The Brewers are 5th in runs scored, but 14th in runs allowed. For the most part, the defense has at least been OK, which would seem to suggest the problem lies in the pitching.

I am not the only one noticing all the hate and bigotry is on the left. The anti-Mormonism is a desperate ploy that seems to have already failed...Romney is now several points ahead, having been behind just a couple weeks ago.

When your record is what Obama's is, you only have the other stuff. And the other stuff doesn't seem to be working.

Melvin declined to say whether the Red Sox called about the Brewers'
stable of outfielders, which includes prospects Logan Schafer and Caleb
Gindl. On Saturday, Boston traded for slumping Cubs veteran Marlon Byrd.--MLB.com

Doug isn't trading guys that like that unless he thinks he's one player away. I would assume that if BOS did call, they asked about Gomez. There's no way there's 20 CF's better than Carlos when defensive value is figured in.

Amazing how easy it is to smack some extra-base hits when pitchers miss their location by a foot or so. I refuse to show pretend angst while in the midst of a tiny sample, so I'm not exactly in tune with the casual fans.

It’s a national trend: Parents are fed up with traditional public
schools because they are failing to adapt—or failing outright. The
number of charter-school students nationwide has nearly quadrupled over
the past decade to more than 1.6 million in the 2009-10 school year. In
2007, the most recent data available, the number of homeschooled
students was about 1.5 million, a 76 percent increase since 1999. Many
new charter schools cost the state less money than traditional schools
and craft school-specific curricula, free from rigid state and district
requirements. And although they spring from Indiana’s attempt to create
competition for (and, thus, higher quality in) public schools, they also
represent a demand-side phenomenon: Parents would not seek alternatives
to a healthy public-school system.
Indiana surrendered to the demand in 2001, when its Legislature
sanctioned charters. A few years later, it went further and allowed
state funding to follow the student. Muncie’s two high schools began
hemorrhaging pupils, and the pace is picking up: They have lost more
than 17 percent of their enrollment since the 2007-08 school year.
At Hoosier, four days a week, the queue of small sedans, SUVs, and
trucks waiting to drop off students forms a wide circle around the
parking lot. The academy leases space in the unused wing of a Catholic
school on the city’s south side. Under its “blended” model, children go
to their classrooms two days a week for face-to-face instruction. Three
days a week, they work at home with a parent or other adult while
connected electronically to the high-tech school. Teachers and coaches
meet at least once a month to review each child’s progress. “Everybody
is on the same page all the time,” Whitehead says.Coordination with parents is a given. “It took me a whole school year
to see he wasn’t keeping up” in public school, says Jamie Leffel of her
second-grader. Frustrated, she too moved him to Hoosier. What he got
there highlights where the public schools have gone wrong. Hoosier
students receive a passport to the digital age: Everyone who qualifies
for a free or reduced-price lunch is eligible for a free desktop
computer and printer, as well as an Internet stipend. Pupils still need
to take government-mandated standardized tests, but the academy’s
computer-driven metrics allow teachers and parents to track how well the
kids are doing in real time. (They record the grade for every
assignment, confirm that work is completed on time, and inform teachers
that students need special attention when they can’t exceed 80 percent
performance after the first few attempts.) It’s a high-tech education
for a high-tech world. Parents get a constant stream of e-mails and,
therefore, feel more invested. With Hoosier’s approach, “the partnership
with the parent and teacher becomes crucial,” says Melissa DeWitt, the
academic director of Hoosier Academies, the parent company based in
Indianapolis.--National Journal

Competition makes everything better, and less expensive. Pretending that is true in everything except education is as ridiculous as making it nearly impossible to fire bad teachers.

Thankfully, though the government is nearly worthless at doing anything except throwing money at the problem and not getting any improvement, as the piece states, the public votes with their feet. The charter schools have had success at, wait for it, holding people accountable.

Insanity is expecting different results while doing the same thing over and over. The results are in, and public schools are really struggling, especially in urban areas. Pretending they are fine and continuing the ways of the past is not even an option.

Thankfully, the pendulum has swung. Some like to pretend the '10 elections never happened, but they did. Fiscal common sense is back in style.

John Edwards, a scumbag among scumbags. Note what a dedicated dad he is, to his daughter who goes to private school two hours away. He signs up to bring juice boxes, well, surely that will make up for cheating on her mom, who was lying in bed, dying from cancer.

The worst of the worst. It takes a special type of disgusting human being to not just live horribly, but to lecture others how they need to do more because not everyone is into wealth redistribution like you are.

The funniest thing? He's managed to get drummed out of the party that tolerated Ted Kennedy's drunken public behavior for his entire adult life, even after he killed that woman with his irresponsibility.

Eric Hovde should just repeat that "we borrow 38 cents out of every dollar we spend" phrase over and over in his ad. He says it, and then moves on, and while it's a stunning number of just how broken DC is, and how completely unsustainable the spending is. If he would just repeat it, the left would mock it, but moderates and Dems with some fiscal common sense would pause and go, "Really? 38%?"

Oof. One reason the Brewers won 96 games is they had their top 5 SP's start all but a handful of ballgames. Estrada will move into the rotation, and while he has pitched valiantly, I doubt he'll be able to do it over a long stretch, as you can name the amount of successful RH SP's in MLB that are shorter than 6 feet tall.
Wily Peralta will come up to fill Loe's spot, and Mike McClendon will take Narveson's spot on the 25 man.

VP JoeBiden likens President Obama's policies to "legalizing rattlesnakes in the lobbies of hotels in Arizona." What does that mean??--John McCain
It means Joe Biden is not qualified to mow my lawn, never mind be VP.

Mike McClendon seems like the obvious choice to come up for three games to replace Loe, as he's on the 40 and has a 1.17 ERA thus far. Wily Peralta has also pitched well, but I'm not sure when he last started a game, and he might well not be able to loosen up quickly or multiple times a game.

I would say the MN legislators are 3-6 months...or certainly no more than nine months away from seeing the Vikings pack up and go to LA.
On that note, please do not tell me the Bucks are safe. No team is safe without a modern place to play.

Romney's been making a lot of brilliant moves of late. The attack on Ann seems to energized the campaign. There's no defense when the news is showing pics of boarded up factories, and jobless claims are up again.

Be interesting to see who comes up for Loe when he goes to his grandpa's funeral this weekend. I haven't paid any attention to the first couple weeks at Nashville, as small samples like that are meaningless, but, not when they're looking for a hot arm to throw a couple scoreless frames.

I would assume it would be a 40 man roster guy, so it's probably limited to just 2-3 options.

That said, let's not forget, as far as I can tell, the Secret Service guys were fired for allowing a guest into their hotel room where sensitive info was, not for hiring a hooker.

On a related note, next time, pay the independent contractor performing a perfectly legal occupation in Columbia $50 more, and you still have your jobs. As far as I'm concerned, the issue was being too miserly. The rest is a discussion between the agents and their significant others, that frankly, bores me to tears, unless one of them is named John Edwards.

Spend less money and legal reform that would allow the system to throw crap like this out without so much as a second glance would be the first two steps to fixing the vast majority of the problems that plague this nation. Many fail to understand that the legal costs of...everything makes health care, cars, gas, and every single thing cost more...because unbeknownst to many, companies pass malpractice and legal costs onto the consumer.

You may recall myself asking the same question. It takes a UK paper to notice just how blatantly the old media avoids the truth, as I guess we are supposed to believe not a single person read the book until now.

They read it, but just like his minister, it did not fit the narrative, so it was ignored.

I lived in the Twin Cities area for over five years, and their inability to do anything except tax and spend foolishly was legendary. They need a hero to step up like Norm Coleman did, but are inept in every way.

Not many. I topped out at 69 at the Metrodome speed gun years ago, and no one else in my group of four cracked 60.

I've seen hundreds try, and the highest I've witnessed was 72. I think Aaron's guess of 1% is way, way high. I doubt if it is over .25%.

From the comments:

I am 6’5″ 225, a respectable all around athlete, and 48 yrs old. Could throw a pretty decent football in my day. Never pitched, but was good at nailing a guy from the outfield at home plate. Played tennis and could crank a pretty solid serve in the 110′s.

So I fancied myself to have quite the cannon for an arm the first time I sauntered up to one of those booths at a AAA game. Threw 10 pitches, topped out in the high 60′s. My arm and my ego were a little sore for several days after that.

Most of us never hit 80 once, never mind at 49 while hitting a target the size of a belt buckle from 60 feet.

I'm showing my age, but Mike Caldwell never hit 80 in a game way back when, I recall Rene Lachemann trying to explain it that most pitchers throw in the 80's, so when a guy throws 90+ or <80, it's a tough adjustment. Back then, guys that "threw hard" often hit 91-92. The guys throwing like Axford were few and far between, and often went by the name "Nolan."

I don't see the big deal about eating dogs, just like I fail to see the problem with eating horses. I don't want people eating my dog, or any other pet, but in some places in the world, I'm sure many of us would kill for worms, dog stew, or any number of things we would consider "icky" in the land of plenty.

The irony is, of course, is that Obama admitted this himself in his own book, and the old media investigated him so thoroughly no one noticed until now.

One of the underrated keys to the Brewers success in 2011 was a surprisingly good defense, as they managed to convert a lot of balls into outs that other teams weren't able to get to. However, new third baseman Aramis Ramirez is a defensive downgrade, and Mat Gamel isn't much of a glove man over at first, so the infield defense remains a problem. While the Brewers' pitching is strong on paper, their National League-worst 5.65 ERA shows that the defensive support might not be in place to help the pitchers live up to expectations. If the Brewers are going to hang around in a tight NL Central race all year, they're going to have to address those defensive issues at some point.--SI Power Rankings

That's 100% correct, but the casuals are not going to get it, as they insisted the Crew's defense was weak last year, even though they were top ten in MLB in the only two metrics I find that work, which are ultimate zone rating and defensive runs saved.

And, there's no doubt in my mind that Ramirez is a step down from McGehee, though Gonzalez is better than Yuni, while Gamel is probably as good or better than Prince (though Fielder was consistently picked on and was barely below average). Add all that up, and I would say the Crew is probable to be a bit worse defensively...but not by much, maybe 0-5 runs above average, while they were about +10 last season.

I am a contrarian by nature, but often, that's just because the average fan doesn't pay attention.

Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley in Maryland has tried to raise the gas tax. Democrats Bev Perdue in North Carolina and Christine Gregoire in Washington tried to raise the sales tax. Democrat Jerry Brown in California is trying to raise the state’s income tax to the highest in the nation. Democrat Dan Malloy in Connecticut already pushed through the largest tax hike in that state’s history. Democrat Pat Quinn in Illinois increased income taxes by 66 percent.

The result? Democrat-led states are falling behind Republican-led states on job creation.--Phil Cox

The GOP doesn't get it. Taxpayers are nothing but an open wallet, ripe for picking. Otherwise, how will we spread the wealth and create a utopia full of puppies, grassy meadows, and endless salads with no dressing for all?

One thing to remember, Izturis has a higher career OBP than Gonzalez. Those that bemoaned Cesar's weak bat in the lineup for a few days forget that the most important offensive tool is not getting out.

Chicks may love the long ball, but OBP scores you runs. It also wears out the SP and gets you into the bullpen quicker, against the weakest pitchers on the team.

Know what's funny? The biggest complaint I saw on the message boards was how weak the bench is. I thought it was above average, and thus far, it's probably been the best in MLB. Ishikawa doesn't really have a role, but he's still a better hitter than your average bench guy.

Gamel must have been the only person in the park with that bad of an angle, as he was almost stopped just before 2B, not sure if that ball would be caught. Speed isn't a very important tool for a 1B, but it was on that double.

By the way, the Brewers have not lost a game since last July 4th that they have led after 7 innings. That's about as unreal as it gets...that's winning every single game, even though about 25% is left to play.

Josh Bell is a switch-hitting 3B who was a top prospect. Given the state of 3B in MLB, and the fact he has power, the toughest skill to find, and often the slowest to develop, I have to think he'll get claimed.

Bell might well find his niche as a bench guy who can play all four corner slots.

No offense to Uthoff, who has every right to transfer and/or go to school wherever he wishes, but considering the UW gave this kid a year of free education and he chose to redshirt, I'd have no problem asking him for his out-of-state tuition, or have them restrict schools.

The Brewers' John Steinmiller just sent an announcement that the team had sold it's 2 millionth ticket on the earliest date in club history. Miller Park attendance is one of the most remarkable stories in baseball over the past five years.--Adam M, MLB.com

Not as early as I assumed it would happen, but still the earliest ever, so that's a good sign.

The Rambling wife and I also lived together, but neither of us had done so before. For many, it seems to be a financial thing, I know several couples who stayed together after "breaking up" and continued to share the rent and utilities.

A senior citizen drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of the dealership. Taking off down the road, he floored it to 80 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little gray hair he had left. "Amazing," he thought as he flew down I-94, pushing the pedal even more. Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw a state trooper behind him, lights flashing and siren blaring. He floored it to 100 mph, then 110, then 120. Suddenly he thought, "What am I doing? I'm too old for this," and pulled over to await the trooper's arrival. Pulling in behind him, the trooper walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch, and said, "Sir, my shift ends in 30 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason for speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go."The old gentleman paused. Then he said, "Years ago, my wife ran off with a state trooper. I thought you were bringing her back."

"Have a good day, sir," replied the trooper, as he walked back to his car.

I think it's pretty obvious. It was ludicrous when he said it, and no one with any economics background is at all surprised it has completely failed.

That said, it does not fit the narrative, so it is buried, along with just about all the facts of the administration's fiscal results. Spending far more money than they have is not only financial suicide, but the only thing they are known for.

Allow me to help...we're talking about two adults here. The state needs to focus on real crime and real criminals. Two adults can have a relationship if they so choose, no matter if it seems "icky," to use a scientific word.

Another example of government trying to make some sort of utopian society, when they should be concentrating on building safe roads and spending less money.

Not a whole lot to discuss as far as the Brewers go...5th in runs scored, 16th in runs allowed. SP's are 16th, bullpen is 14th. One surprise? They have the 3rd most K's, meaning the odds are, the low standing in runs allowed is at least partially bad luck.

No way they will finish 16th, barring many injuries. My concern is that Wolf may be far from 100% and just hiding it. If that's not the case, I feel fine.

About five years ago, Laura Schara was featured in a magazine with her boyfriend, who owned some bar/restaurant. By the looks of this photo, she must have got to keep their penthouse apartment, as she looks to be above the sky.

I would argue that health and education jobs are up so much because the government pays for most of it, and needless to say, they have never had a firm grasp on the purse strings...because it's other people's money.

A piece about an online pro, suffering because his profession has been taken away by the nanny state.

It was a year ago today the US stopped being the land of the free. Thankfully, the fiscal and social irresponsibility that has filled DC is not permanent, and will someday be mocked in the history books.

I've said a few times I find it anti-capitalism that no one cares if a woman has sex, only if she gets paid for it. Using real resources to investigate and prosecute such trivial matters is a shame...after all, they could be going after real, hardened criminals...like people that play a game of skill online.:)

A wonderful obit, and I bet he would have been a great guy to have known.

At the very least, I think he proves a point...the tired ideas of the masses have not worked, and the future is a horror movie. That dude lived his life his way, and he had every right to do so. It's refreshing to see political incorrect behavior in age of the old media turning into a nanny state of liberal thought.

The Rambling dog had a bad evening last night. Sadly, his health is not going to improve as he gets older, but it sure is hard to see him slowly slide down hill. Since his UTI about a year ago, his troubles have been minimal. When your dog is 16, you know how the story is going to end, you just don't know how long it's going to be.

My internet friend Cassy discusses "mercy killing," which seems to be a fancy way of saying something far nastier.

I'm an amateur futurist, and I often discuss "in 50 years" or "in 500 years" when answering a question. I have often said I have little doubt suicide will be legal and likely a business venture at some point in the future. We justify ending our pet's lives, but frown upon a person in immense pain choosing to drift off to sleep permanently.

As for the question Cassy talks about, she hits the nail on the head when she brings up the "slippery slope" this would lead to. We don't know what the severely disabled feel, so we choose to err on the side of making their life as comfortable as we can. Do I see a shift to the other side in a few decades? Nope.

I don't see that changing. As often is the case, the audience fails to grasp the situation at hand, which is why many are easily influenced by pictures of puppies, bumper sticker slogans, and $5 words to describe 25 cent situations. Ask them if they feel we should "invest more into education," and the sheep will shake their fists; but when you ask them to pay more money in taxes on their hard-earned cash, they'll shoot you that look like you told them how the mystery movie is going to end.

It's really tough to take Fangraphs seriously when they talk about how many runs batting Willie Bloomquist leadoff is costing the DBacks...batting order is all but meaningless, just like worrying about strikeouts are. While I would not say the result is +/- 0, you're talking about such a minute number...10 runs a year maybe, it's not worthy of a serious discussion.

Simulations of a bizarro order, batting the pitcher 3rd, your worst hitter #1, your best hitter #9, and so on, results in about a .25 runs a game reduction, I would assume mostly from your better bats getting fewer PA's. That's about a 5% reduction in runs scored, so pretending this or that is meaningful enough to concern yourself with...yawn.

I must admit, the Zack Greinke excuse brigade after every less than stellar outing is hilarious. You know, not only does he have a documented nervous disorder, he has also admitted to not giving 100% at times when he played with the Royals. Questioning him is not mean or bad, but expected and reasonable.

The thing is, casuals do not think with their heads, as they allow their emotions to get involved. Every pitcher has bad games, but Roenicke hinted rather strongly that after the four pitch walk, he did not feel Zack had a chance to recover. Last year, he had an awful start, versus the Red Sox if memory serves, and was also removed rather quickly. Adversity is a tremendous yest of character, you do not know a person until you've seen them in a tough situation.

Romney ahead 43-37 among independents. That and ensuring Republicans, especially those on the right, show up and vote Romney are the two biggest keys for a GOP victory. Keep discussing gas prices, unemployment and taxes...and ignore the rest.

Despite her tough upbringing and handicap, note how she got where she is today...great family, hard work, and a private, charitable foundation. The government probably would have been happy to send her a check, but not relying on their assistance got her where she is today.

He lost me at "get up at 6AM," not to mention the double digit hours of driving in order to hike...goodness, I have a state park and any number of trails within ten minutes of my house, as do many people.

Gamel made a mental mistake, of course, but Gonzalez is not blameless in throwing a ball to...no one, either.

I think it was my last season of playing softball, I was at SS in a coed game, and made, if I say so myself, a near perfect diving stop on a grounder in the hole. I scrambled to my knees, and went to throw to 2B...and the girl playing 2B had never moved, still at her position halfway between 1B and 2B. No problem, I thought, I'll throw to 1B...the 1B was walking toward 2B, pointing, telling the girl to cover. I looked back to 2B, and it looked like the girl and the runner were to arrive there about the same time. After double or triple pumping, I tried to decide where to throw the ball, as the 2B was cuter than she was talented. Somehow, I managed to fire the ball into her glove, and despite the velocity of the throw pushing the glove a couple feet off to the side, it somehow managed to stick. Given the obstacles, it was one of the better plays I ever made, though it looked routine once I had the grounder in my glove.

We'll probably see several moves made to rest regulars and give them a partial day off.

Like it or not, the fact issues like this can manifest itself and put a player on the sidelines for long stretches of time is why many teams hesitate to commit nine figures to Greinke. It falls under the category of "one more thing."

Greinke the victim of bad luck and hole finders in the 3rd. Hopefully, he can recover mentally and give the team another 2-3 IP, as the bullpen doesn't need to be throwing 5 innings before a weekend in ATL.

The Brewers seem to be doing a very nice job with Hart, who still has not played a complete game, and who took yesterday off. I'd probably give him a day off before or after the next team off day as well, to give him 48 hours of consecutive rest.

I'm off today, so I'm making one of the Rambling wife's favorite meals, BBQ ribs and cheesy hash browns for supper tonight (you elitists may refer to the evening meal as "dinner," which is fine as I do not attack others for their choices, unlike some). I always make the ribs and she makes the hash browns, so I googled it. Every recipe is the same...mix with soup, cheese, whatever you want, bake for an hour.

These are the good old days. Some folks are just too busy wishing the streets were paved with gold to enjoy the good times.

Whatever strikes me as
interesting, and serious Milwaukee Brewers thoughts. If you are a believer
in respecting OBP, throwing strikes, and keeping the ball in the park,
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I'm happy to pay taxes to help the helpless. I don't like paying taxes to help the clueless. Look at the Occupy movement...I'm forced to pay taxes to help those whose plight I delight in.--Dennis Miller

If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, and your life will be brief.--President Trump

Never have lives less lived been more chronicled.--Dennis Miller

I’m going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.--Mad Dog Mattis

I have never understood why it is "greed" to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else's money.--Thomas Sowell